310 CALIFORNIA VEGETABLES 



ting, strands of barbed wire above and below are often very useful. 

 The method of making such fencing is described on page 86. 



A good rabbit-proof fence can be built with chicken wire net- 

 ting two feet wide, stapled to the inside of the posts, the bottom 

 of it at the ground surface and barbed wire with bars 2^ inches 

 apart run along just above the ground surface to prevent tunneling 

 under, with another barbed wire stapled to the other side of the post 

 just above the upper line of the fence to prevent jumping over. If 

 you can get barbs 2y 2 inches apart, you can make a good rabbit 

 fence by excluding the netting and running the wires about 3 inches 

 apart until you come to 2 feet and 6 inches apart above that. Then 

 keep a greyhound and a shot gun for the rabbits which may man- 

 age to get through in some way. 



In a small garden rabbits can be fooled by a straw cover. Mr. 

 H. C. Tracy, of Hollywood, gives this interesting experience : 



In my garden bounded on two sides by brush, having on previous oc- 

 casions had no luck with poisons and deterrents, I tried spreading over all 

 my plantings a light scattering of straw by no means enough to darken 

 the seedlings but quite sufficient to screen them from rabbit-brained ma- 

 rauders, who seemed to regard the whole field as a straw patch. A corner 

 which I neglected was eaten to the ground, but where my ruse was first 

 tried out I now have beans with pods six inches long, their tops, of course, 

 showing plainly above the straw, but remaining unmolested. 



Squirrels. Ground squirrels should be destroyed in the ad- 

 joining fields as well as in the garden, or its protection is almost a 

 hopeless undertaking. When the ground is wet, squirrels are very 

 satisfactorily destroyed with carbon bisulphide, and this material, 

 with appliances and instructions for its use, can usually be had in 

 country stores. 



In dry soil the carbon bisulphide is not as effective, and some 

 of the many good squirrel poisons must be used. The following 

 has been shown to be very satisfactory : 



Strychnine, one ounce ; cyanide of potassium, one and one-half ounces ; 

 eggs, one dozen; honey, one pint; vinegar one and one-half pints; wheat or 

 barley, thirty pounds. Dissolve the strychnine in the vinegar, pulverizing it 

 in the vinegar, or it will gather in a lump. See that it is all dissolved. Dis- 

 solve the cyanide of potassium in a little water. Beat the eggs. Mix all the 

 ingredients together thoroughly before adding to the barley. Let it stand 

 twenty-four hours, mixing often. Spread to dry before using, as it will mold 

 if put away wet. 



A cheaper and exceedingly effective poison is that invented by 

 Mr. S. E. Piper of the U. S. Department of Agriculture as follows : 



Whole barley (recleaned) 14 Ibs. 



Strychnine sulphate 1 ounce 



Soda (bicarbonate) 1 ounce 



Saccharine li dram 



Thin starch paste 1 pint 



Corn starch (Karo or equal) 2 ounces 



Dissolve the strychnine in hot water; thicken with starch to about the 

 consistency of thin soup. Dissolve the soda in one-half pint of hot water 



